תּוֹלְדוֹת
Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz of Peshischa (5526/1766 – 19 Tishrei 5574/1813), known as the Yid HaKadosh, was the founder of Peshischa chassidut, whose way was marked by sharpness in learning, lamdanut, and a deliberate reducing of the place given to wonders. He was born to Rabbi Asher Rabinowicz, who served as a darshan in Przedborz. In his early years he was a lamdan and headed the yeshivah in Apta, and he was drawn to chassidut through the influence of Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov. Rabbi David of Lelov brought him into the circle of talmidim of the Chozeh of Lublin.
According to one account he was called “the Yehudi” because the talmidim of the Chozeh did not wish to call him by his given name, which was the same as their rebbi’s, and so called him simply the Yid; the Sefat Emet of Gur explained the name differently, that he rose every day as one rising from not-a-Jew to a Jew. As he grew in Torah and in chassidut he established a court in the town of Peshischa, which brought about a break with his rebbi. Against the popular character of the Chozeh’s leadership he preferred a small and select circle of lamdanim of high standing, and his new and different way raised opposition, many of the Chozeh’s chassidim contending sharply against him.
He married twice, to two sisters, daughters of Yaakov Kopel and Golda of Apta — the first Braindel, the second Sheindel Freida, from whom his two younger sons were born. Three of his sons were rebbes: Rabbi Yerachmiel of Peshischa, from whom the Biala chassidut descends; Rabbi Yehoshua Asher of Zelechov and Parisov, who founded the Parisov chassidut; and Rabbi Nechemiah Yechiel, a talmid of Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin, appointed a rebbe at about twenty. His sons-in-law were Rabbi Moshe Biderman of Lelov and Rabbi Shmuel Rafaels of Lublin.
Among his talmidim were Rabbi Simchah Bunim of Peshischa, who took his place in leading most of the chassidim, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, Rabbi Yitzchak of Vorka, Rabbi Chanoch Henoch HaKohen of Alexander, the Saba Kadisha of Radoshitz and Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh of Radzymin. His Torah was gathered in several sefarim — Keter HaYehudi, Torat HaYehudi and Kitvei Kodesh — and his sefarim contain halachic chiddushim as well, among them on the laws of tefillat haderech, some of which are brought in Shoel U’Meshiv. He was niftar on 19 Tishrei and was buried in an ohel in Peshischa.
במקום שהמסורות חלוקות. The sources differ on the names of his two wives. ; The reason for the name "the Yehudi" is given differently by different accounts.
רבי יעקב יצחק רבינוביץ' המכונה "היהודי הקדוש", הוא מייסד חסידות פשיסחה המאופיינת בחריפות, למדנות, והמעטת העיסוק במופתים. ממשיכי דרכו העיקריים היו רבי שמחה בונם מפשיסחא ורבי מנחם מנדל מקוצק.
Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz of Peshischa also known as the Yid Hakudosh or the Yehudi was the founder and first Grand Rabbi of the Peshischa movement of Hasidic philosophy, and an important figure of Polish Hasidism. The leading disciple of Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin, the Yehudi preached an "elitist" approach to Hasidism, in which he paired traditional Talmudic learning with the highly spiritual Kavanah of Hasidism. He encouraged individuality of thought, which brought his movement into conflict with the Hasidic establishment. Nevertheless, several of his teachings would go on to influence large percentages of modern Hasidism. Following his death in 1813, he was succeeded by his main disciple Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, who increased his movement's influence tenfold. The Yehudi is the patriarch of the Porisov and Biala Hasidic dynasties.